International Students Admission Requirements

The admissions process begins with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. This office provides international students with university information and applications, determines admission acceptance including issuing I-20s, and works with International Services to prepare International students for enrollment into the university. International students who meet all university and U.S. Immigration requirements may be accepted for admission to the university. You should begin well in advance (six months to one year prior to date of beginning classes) to prepare for taking required academic admissions tests, immunizations, securing financial support and preparing other required documents. We encourage you to respond promptly, as some of your documentation requires additional time to be received and reviewed. The University cannot issue you an I-20 form, certificate of eligibility, to attend Florida Gulf Coast University, until you have completed all documents and met all admissions and U.S. immigration requirements. The application and all official supporting documents must be submitted by the posted deadlines below for the requested entry date.

PLEASE READ ALL INFORMATION BEFORE COMPLETING YOUR APPLICATION

EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES

Students who enter a university in the U.S. must complete 12 years (or equivalent) of preparatory education. International Students applying to FGCU as a first-time-in-college freshman must have the equivalent of a U.S. High School Diploma.

Bachelor's Degree: The first university degree awarded is a Bachelor's, which normally requires four years of study (more for some programs). This degree includes required general education courses as well as specialization courses in the chosen field.

Master’s Degree: A Bachelor’s degree is required of all students who desire to enter a Master’s degree program. This degree generally requires two years of study beyond the Bachelor’s degree, depending on the number of courses a student completes each academic term.

Level of Placement and transfer of academic credits: Florida Gulf Coast University does not evaluate foreign credentials or transcripts on campus.

For international student transcript evaluations, we suggest you contact one of the international agencies located on the following website: http://www.naces.org/

A course by course evaluation is required for any college courses taken and is recommended for high school equivalency unless a GPA is included in the evaluation. If so, then a dcoument by document evaluation will suffice.

You need to request that the agency send the results directly by mail to Undergraduate Admissions as an official document. Should you require any additional information, please contact the Admissions Office at our toll free number (888) 889-1095 or e-mail admissions@fgcu.edu

All foreign transcripts should be evaluated for equivalency purposes: University-level coursework undertaken abroad may be transferable if earned at a recognized institution depending on academic equivalency. International students who have completed some university level education and are interested in transferring academic credit to Florida Gulf Coast University should submit an original evaluation of courses taken and an English translation of course syllabi for which credit is desired. The evaluating agency will review your transcripts and determine your level of academic study comparable to the U.S. education system. Undergraduate students are placed at the appropriate level for their educational background. However, academic departments have the option of denying credit for any coursework not applicable to that department.

The University recommends choosing the course by course evaluation, with grades or marks and credit hours equated to the system in the U.S.

First Time in College or Lower Level Transfer students may choose the document by document evaluation for their high school courses if they wish, however, if the evaluation agency does not provide a GPA, the student must meet the minimum SAT (1450) or ACT (21) requirement.

Transcripts and test scores received and opened by the university may not be transferred to a third party or the applicant and become the sole property of FGCU.

Admission Criteria

Florida Gulf Coast University requires that applicants submit official English language proficiency test scores if English is not the native language. Scores must be current (not more than 3 years old). A Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam must be submitted. Either of these tests should be taken as soon as possible and official test scores sent to FGCU. A TOEFL score or IELTS exam is not required if you have a degree granted from a U.S. institution (college or university). You must have attended the whole 4 years and graduated from a U.S. high school to be exempt from TOEFL or IELTS. A minimum passing score of 213 on the computerized TOEFL or 550 on the paper and pencil TOEFL or 79 on the internet based TOEFL or a minimum passing score of 6.5 on the IELTS is required for admission.

An International Freshman or Lower Level Transfer applicant who meets the State University System Minimum Freshman Eligibility Index for Admission Consideration is not guaranteed admission to the University, even though everything possible will be done to admit all qualified applicants who apply by posted admission deadlines. However, if the number of qualified Freshman or Lower Level Transfer applicants exceeds the number the University is permitted to enroll in a given term, admission will be on a selective basis.

Florida Gulf Coast University will process your application based on how many credit hours you have completed in a college or university. There are 4 different student types by which your application may be processed:

Freshman

Lower level Transfer

Upper Level Transfer

Second Bachelor's Degree

Florida Gulf Coast University separates transfer student types into 2 different categories due to the difference in admission criteria. Those 2 types are Lower Level Transfer and Upper Level Transfer applicants. The differences are noted below. Please read each category to help you decide which application process you should follow. Failure to provide the required documents will delay your admission decision.

***NOTE*** – THE ADMISSION DEADLINES FOR INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS ARE DIFFERENT THAN FOR DOMESTIC APPLICANTS – PLEASE SEE THE ADMISSION DEADLINES ABOVE FOR INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS.

Students who already hold a Bachelor’s Degree from a regionally accredited institution will need to submit official transcripts from eachand every institution attended. If the Bachelor’s Degree was awarded by another country, the applicant will need to send their transcript to a foreign credential evaluation agency. The agency will review the transcript and determine if the degree is comparable to the U.S. educational system Bachelor Degree. If the student’s grade point average is at least 2.0 on previous coursework and the applicant is in good standing at the last institution attended, the applicant is admissible to FGCU. Second Bachelor’s Degree applicants do not need to satisfy a foreign language requirement.